Ershad leaves Dhaka for S’pore for treatment

Jatiya Party Chairman and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament HM Ershad, who has been suffering from multiple health complications, left Dhaka for Singapore for treatment this afternoon.

He left Dhaka airport by a flight of Singapore Airlines around 12:45pm, said his younger brother GM Quader, also the JP co-chair.

Ershad's personal assistant Khaled Akhter yesterday said, “He has hardly been able to take foods properly for about one month due to liver complications which have further deteriorated his health condition.”

“His [Ershad] bilirubin count is high and he is also suffering from acute knee pain." Faisal, a close aide of the JP chief, yesterday said.

The 89-year-old former military dictator has been undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for the last two months.

On December 10 last year, he went to Singapore for treatment and returned on December 26, just three days before the 11th parliamentary election.

Ershad was elected as an MP from Rangpur 3, even though he could not carry out any election campaign.

The JP took part in the December 30 election as part of the ruling grand alliance and bagged 22 seats.

In a statement on January 4, Ershad said his party men would sit on the opposition and he would act as the leader of the opposition, contradicting the JP Parliamentary Party (JPPP) decision.

Source: thedailystar